Obtunding attachment for dental drills.



PATENTED MAY 12. 1 903.

0-11. BASPORD. A OBTUNDING ATTACHMENT OR DENTAL DRILLS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 16, 1902.

.H0 MODEL.

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m: uomals PETERS co. PnorauTHo'. WASHINGFON, o. c.

UNITED STATES Patented IVIay 12, 1905. PATENT OEEIcE.

CLAUDE R. BASFORD, OF HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO BAS- FORD MANUFACTURING CO., OF ,SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ACOR- PORATION OF' CALIFORNIA.

.OBTUNDING ATTACHMENT FOR D'ENTALDRILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,736, dated May 12, 1903.

Application filed April 16,1902. Serial No. 103,108. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLAUDE R. BASFORD, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Healdsburg, Sonoma county, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Obtunding Attachments for Dental Drills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The present invention relates to a certain new and useful dental obtnnder for use in connection with the work of an electricallyoperated or a foot-operated dental drill, the object of the invention being to enablethe operator of the dental engine to eject an atomized anesthetic or obtundent into the cavity of the tooth being operated on in order to render the nerves of the tooth insensible to pain during the drilling operation, thereby enabling the operator to'continue the'work of drilling or excavating without interruption. To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side view of an ordinary footpower dental drill or engine with the improved obtunding mechanism attached there- Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the atomizer-tube for the anesthetic. Fig. 3 is a broken sectional detail view of the atomizer-tube, illustrating the valve for controlling the supply of anesthetic to the mixing-chamber; and Fig. 4 is an eu-, larged detail view of a modification of the atomizer-tip.

The numeral 1 is used to indicate thesta'nd of an ordinary dental engine, and 2 the ban- To the handle 2 of the dental drill is attached by clamp 6 an atomizer-tube 7. This tube has formed therein a central opening 8,

through which is fed the obtu ndent or anesthetic, and the air passage-ways 9 to the mixing-chamber of the atomizer. The atomizer-tube 7 slips 'onto coupling 10, being clamped thereon by means of the screw-col- The coupling'is provided with a feedpipe 12 and an air-inlet pipe 13. When the tube 7 is clamped onto the coupling, the feedpipe 12 will register with the central passage- ;way 8 and the air passage-ways 14 will register with the passage-Ways 9 of the atomizer tube.

The atomizer-nozzle 14, carrying the tip 15, is attached to section 16 by a securing-nut 17, section 16 in turn being screwed onto outer end of'tube 7. Section 16 forms a mixing-chamber 18, into which the obtundent or anesthetic and air from passage-ways 8 and 9 discharge and intermix.

To pipe 12 is connected one end of a flexible tube 19, the opposite end of which connects with a reservoir 20. This reservoir contains the obtundent or anesthetic to be used for deadening the nerves of the teeth being treated. The outlet of fluid from the reservoir is controlled by means of the valve 21. A flexible air-tube 22 is attached at one end to pipe 13, its opposite end being secured to a coupling 23. This coupling unites the air-tube to the air-supply pipe 24, which pipe leads from a pressure-tank 25. To control the flow of air from the tank 25 to the air-tube 22, a valve 25 is interposed in the supply-pipe 24.

Any suitable means may be employed for compressing the air within the tank 25, a simple device for this purpose being an air-pump 26, connected therewith. Y

r waves The reservoir 20 is secured by clamp 29 or otherwise to the jointed section 3 of the dental tool. i

In addition to the controlling-valve 25' a valve 30 is used to regulate the flow of air through coupling 23 to the flexible air-tube 22.

For convenience of the operator a valve 31 is secured within the tube 7, which valve controls the flow of material from the reservoir through central passage-way 8. This valve is operated by the finger-piece 32, which is within convenient reach of the operator. By means of this valve the operator may cut off or regulate the flow of the anesthetic to the mixing-chamber 18 at any desired moment.

The tip of the atomizer-nozzle 14 is so arranged as to discharge onto the tooth immediately in advance of or at the cutting-point of the drill-bur 6. The term drill-bur will be understood as including a grinding-disk such as is employed for grinding the surface of the tooth for crownwork or any other purpose.

At times it is required that the anesthetic or obtundent be atomized onto the tooth at different points. For this purpose the form of nozzle illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings is employed, wherein the nozzle 1-1 is provided with branch tips 15.

By detachably connecting the atomizertube 7 to coupling 10 I am enabled to use tubes corresponding to the various shapes of drill-handles employed in connection with dental work.

The anesthetic or obtundent to be utilized in anesthetizing the tooth is inserted into the reservoir 20 through filling-orifice 33, which is closed by cap 34.

In operation the various valves are opened to admit air from the pressure-tank into the reservoir 20 and air-tube 22. The pressure of air within the reservoir 20 forces the anesthetic or obtundent therefrom into tube 19, which delivers same to the central passageway 8, while the air is delivered into the passage-ways 9. From these passage-ways the anesthetic and air are discharged into the mixing-chamber 18, wherein the air and ancsthetic intermix. From this chamber the aerated obtundent is sprayed onto the tooth in advance of the drill-bur in an atomized form, which being ejected under pressure penetrates the tissues of the tooth and deadens or blunts the nerves of the tooth, so as to render the work of excavating or drilling of the tooth painless.

By permitting the anesthetic to be ejected onto the tooth while the dental tool is being operated it is not required that the work of the operator cease or be interrupted by reason of any pain to the patient.

Practical operation has demonstrated that the most sensitive tooth may be treated by the described obtunder attachment with absolute freedom from pain.

I am aware that changes may be made in the arrangement of parts and details of construction herein shown and described without creating a departure fromthe invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be protected, 1s-

1. A device for ejecting an anesthetic comprising an atomizer-tube divided longitudinally into air and anesthetic passages, pipes adapted to deliver airand an anesthetic to the respective passages, a detachable coupling for connecting said pipes to the atomizertube, a nozzle at the outer end of said tube, anda mixing-chamber between the nozzle and said tube; substantially as described.

2. A device for ejecting an anesthetic comprising an atomizer-tube, means for delivering air and an anesthetic to said tube, a detachable nozzle, and a mixing-chamberinterposed between said nozzle and the discharge end of the atomizer-tube, substantially as described.

3. A device for ejecting an anesthetic comprising an atomizer-tube, a nozzle leading from said tube, a valve in said tube having a lateral extension, and a finger-piece connected to said valve and extending forwardly to a point immediately adjacent to the nozzle; substantially as described.

4.. A device for ejecting an anesthetic comprising an atomizer-tube divided longitudinallyinto passages for air and an anesthetic, means for delivering air and an anesthetic to the respective passages, a section detachably secured to the outer end of the atomizer-tube and forming a mixing-chamber, and a nozzle at the outer end of said section; substantially as described.

5. The combination with a handpiece of a dental tool, of an obtnnder-tube detachably connected thereto and divided longitudinally into air and anesthetic passages, a nozzle ar ranged to discharge an atomized anesthetic to a tooth in advance of the drill of the dental tool, a mixing-chamber interposed between the nozzle and the tube, and means for supplying air and an anesthetic into the mixingchamber under pressure; substantially as described.

6. The combination with a dental tool, of means for obtunding the tooth operated on, the same comprising a tube attached to the handpiece of the dental tool having a nozzle directed toward the point operated upon and a mixing-chamber discharging into the nozzle, said tube being divided longitudinally into air and fluid passage-ways, an air-pressure means, a reservoir for supplying an anesthetic or obtundent under pressure, connections between said pressure-tank and the tube and between the reservoir and said tube, and means whereby the supply of air and anesthetic to the nozzle may be conveniently controlled by the operator; substantially as described.

7. In a dental obtunder, the combination with the haudpiece of a dental tool, of a tube the tube and means for controlling the feed IO connectedthereto havinga nozzle directed to of the air and anesthetic; substantially as the point operated upon by the dental tool, a described.

coupling to which the tube is detachably con- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 5 nected, means for supplying air and an aneshand.

thetic under pressure through the coupling CLAUDE R. BASFORD.

and into the tube, a nozzle at the opposite Witnesses:

end of the tube, a coupling forming a mixing- J. H. BROOKS,

chamber interposed between the nozzle and J. R. SWISHER; 

